Maternity panty girdle



Jan. 31,1967 F. G. FARINQ 3,301,261

MATERNITY PANTY GIRDLE Filed March 1, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2 INVENTOR.

FRANK G. FARINO BY xmdmh ATTORNEY Jan. 31, 1967 F. e. FARINO MATERNITY PANTY GIRDLE 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed March 1, 1965 INVENTORY. FRANK G. FARINO BYQ 2009 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,301,261 MATERNITY PANTY GIRDLE Frank G. Farino, South Euclid, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Leading Lady Foundations, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio.

Filed Mar. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 435,814 4 Claims. (Cl. 128-528) My invention is an improvement in body garments and more particularly is a maternity panty girdle having stretch areas arranged and interrelated to secure comfortable and effective abdomen support during normal girdle wear and particularly when worn as a maternity girdle during and throughout the progressive stages of pregnancy.

An object of the invention is to provide a panty girdle having stretch areas or panels so arranged and so related as to provide a maximum of comfort in use and effective abdominal support during the progressive stages of pregnancy.

Another object is a maternity parity girdle of simple construction employing a flexible back panel, substantially non-elastic in one direction, but elastic or stretchable in another direction, together with elastic side panels extending from the back panel forwardly and terminating in spaced relation, and a front elastic panel including oppositely and diagonally disposed support stretch members secured to the terminal front ends of the side panels whereby to support and lift the abdomen progressively during the stages of pregnancy.

Another object is the provision of means connecting the back panel with the front panel and the diagonally disposed support and lift members in which said means underlies the side panels and is so disposed as to lie along the waist and directly along the hips of the wearer in use.

A further object is a maternity panty girdle construction in which stretch and elasticity is appropriately distributed throughout the sides and front of the garment to provide effective support with wearing comfort to the user throughout the progressive stages of her pregnancy.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent as the following description of an embodiment thereof progresses, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a maternity panty girdle embodying my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a rear view of the garment shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the garment applied in use, and

FIGURE 4 is a slightly reduced side view showing the manner in which the related stretch and support areas function to lift and support the abdomen during a later stage of pregnancy.

In carrying out my invention, the embodiment illustrated may be described as follows.

Referring first more particularly to FIGURES l and 2, the garment is shown in its normal condition and includes a waist band consisting of an annulus of elastic material, preferably fabricated, which as noted by the arrows 11, is stretchable in bot-h directions longitudinally of the band.

A back panel 12 of elastic fabric stretchable only in a vertical direction, as indicated by the arrows 13, is secured along the top edge to the lower edge of the waist band 10, as at 14.

Side panels 15 and 16 of elastic fabric are secured at 17 and 18, respectively, to the sides of the back panel 12 and each extends from the back panel across the side 3,301,261 Patented Jan. 31, 1967 hip and buttocks area of the wearer and thence forwardly to join with a front panel 19 of elastic fabric material stretchable primarily in two directions, i.e. substantially horizontally and substantially vertically as denoted by the arrows 20 and 21, respectively.

It will be noted that the front panel and the side panels are joined or secured together along their marginal edges defined by the substantially U-shaped line 22 which extends downwardly from widely separated points 23 and 24 from the waist band 10 and gradually curving and converging as at 25 to the lower extremity 26 adjacent the crotch part 27.

The lower combined portions of the back and side panels terminate in a pair of panty or leg receiving portions 28 to which the crotch part is also secured. It is not necessary that the crotch part be formed of stretchable material as long as it possesses a sufficient degree of fullness for comfort in use.

Each leg 28 of the panty portion of the garment terminates in a leg encircling elastic band 29 secured thereto at 30 stretchable along its horizontal axis in the direction of the arrows 31 to comfortably grip the leg of the wearer in use. The bands 29 each are secured to the lower extremities of the back and side panels and to the lower portion of the crotch part 27.

As illustrated by the arrows 32 and 33, the side panels 15 and 16 are of elastic fabric and are stretchable normally in the directions of these arrows, although under torsional strains, as when the abdomen of the wearer expands, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, the resultant stretch in the direction of the arrows will be substantially as indicated in this figure. In this figure also is illustrated, by the respective arrows 2021, 13, 3435 and 36-37, the general direction of stretch of the front panel, the back panel and the supplemental diagonally disposed front abdomen lift and supporting panels 38 and 39 during the later stages of pregnancy.

The diagonally disposed panels 38 and 39 overlie one another and are primarily independently stretchable in the directions of the respective arrows. These panels are each provided with an upper reinforcing edging or rib 42 and are secured to the adjacent respective side panels along the converging curved lines 22 and 25, but it will be noted that the ribs are not connected or secured together throughout their length. In this manner, each diagonal panel is independent of the other as far as relative movement or stretch is concerned.

Secured to the interior surfaces of the side panels 15 and 16 there are reinforcing and supporting elastic bands 43 extending from and secured to the back panel at their rear ends as at 44. Those bands extend forwardly and are inclined downwardly along the side panels and are secured thereto along their longitudinal edges, as by stitching 45. The forward or front transverse edges of these bands are secured to the side panels, as at 22. In this manner the stretch of these bands is not materially reduced but transverse stretch across the bands is limited since the bands are secured to the side panels by stitching 45, whereby under these conditions, when the garment is properly fitted and -worn in use, the inclined band reinforced portions of the side panels will lie just above and rest upon the hips of the wearer from the back panel forwardly and downwardly to the abdomen supporting area formed by the front, side and diagonal panels.

It is to be noted that since the crossed diagonally arranged panels 39 are independently free of one another except at these edges where they are secured to the side panels and front panel, as at 22 and 25, they provide resilient sel-f supporting and lifting means for the abdomen as it enlarges during pregnancy, this being accomplished with a high degree of comfort and safety to the wearer but without the necessity of periodic manual adjustment of the garment. 7

Various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A maternity girdle adapted to comfortably support the abdomen of the wearer during progressive stages of pregnancy, said girdle comprising a back panel, a pair of side panels each secured to said back panel along opposed sides thereof and extending forwardly about and around the hip and buttocks of the wearer and terminating in front marginal edges together defining a substantially U-shaped opening therebetween, a front abdomen supporting panel secured to said combined front marginal edges throughout their extent, a pair of relatively diagonally disposed panels each secured along one edge to a portion of each of said front marginal edges, said diagonally disposed panels having top freely and independentally movable overlying edges extending along intersecting planes, and relatively narrow supporting bands secured at one end to said back panel at opposite sides thereof and to said side, front and diagonal panels at their opposite ends, said back panel being formed of elastic fabric stretchable only in a substantially vertical direction, said side, front and diagonally disposed panels being formed of elastic material stretchable in a plurality of directions, the respective top overlying edges of the diagonal panels being disposed to register with the opposed bottom edges of the ends of the supporting bands at their juncture with said front panel.

2. A maternity girdle adapted to comfortably support the abdomen of the wearer during progressive stages of pregnancy, said girdle comprising a back panel, a pair of side panels each secured to said back panel along opposed sides thereof and extending forwardly about and around the hip and buttocks of the wearer and terminating in front marginal edges together defining a substantially U-shaped opening therebetween, a front abdomen supporting panel secured to said combined front marginal edges, a pair of relatively diagonally disposed panels each secured along one edge to a portion of each of said front marginal edges, said diagonally disposed panels having top freely and independently movable overlying edges extending along intersecting planes, and relatively narrow supporting bands secured at one end to said back panel at opposite sides thereof and to said side, front and diagonal panels at their opposite ends, said back panel being formed of elastic fabric stretchable only in a substantially vertical direction, said side, front and diagonally disposed panels being formed of elastic material stretchable in a plurality of directions, the directions of stretch of said diagonal panels being angularly disposed to the directions of stretch of said back, front and side panels respectively.

3. A maternity girdle adapted to comfortably support the abdomen of the wearer during progressive stages of pregnancy, said girdle comprising a back panel, a pair of side panels each secured to said back panel along opposed sides thereof and extending forwardly about and around the hip and buttocks of the wearer and terminating in front marginal edges together defining a substantially U-shaped opening t-herebetween, a front abdomen supporting panel secured to said combined front marginal edges, a pair of relatively diagonally disposed panels each secured along one edge to a portion of each of said front marginal edges, said diagonally disposed panels having top freely and independently movable overlying edges extending along intersecting planes, a pair of elastic supporting bands each secured at its rear end portion to a side edge of said back panel and along its longitudinal edge portions to one of said respective side panels, said bands extending forwardly and inclined downwardly from their rear ends along the respective side panels whereby transverse stretch across the bands is limited relative to longitudinal stretchability by secure-ment of the bands along their longitudinal edge portions to said respective side panels, said back panel being formed of elastic fabric stretchable only in a substantially vertical direction, said side, front and diagonally disposed panels being formed of elastic material stretchable in a plurality of directions.

4. The invention defined in claim 3 in which the respective top overlying edges of the diagonal panels are disposed to substantially register with the opposed bottom edges of the ends of the respective elastic supporting bands at their juncture with said front panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,897,823 7/ 1959 Schein berg 128-548 2,908,277 10/1959 Peck l28528 3,026,875 3/1962 Ka-upp 128540 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

2. A MATERNITY GIRDLE ADAPTED TO COMFORTABLY SUPPORT THE ABDOMEN OF THE WEARER DURING PROGRESSIVE STAGES OF PREGNANCY, SAID GIRDLE COMPRISING A BACK PANEL, A PAIR OF SIDE PANELS EACH SECURED TO SAID BACK PANEL ALONG OPPOSED SIDES THEREOF AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY ABOUT AND AROUND THE HIP AND BUTTOCKS OF THE WEARER AND TERMINATING IN FRONT MARGINAL EDGES TOGETHER DEFINING A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED OPENING THEREBETWEEN, A FRONT ABDOMEN SUPPORTING PANEL SECURED TO SAID COMBINED FRONT MARGINAL EDGES, A PAIR OF RELATIVELY DIAGONALLY DISPOSED PANELS EACH SECURED ALONG ONE EDGE TO A PORTION OF EACH OF SAID FRONT MARGINAL EDGES, SAID DIAGONALLY DISPOSED PANELS HAVING TOP FREELY AND INDEPENDENTLY MOVABLE OVERLYING EDGES EXTENDING ALONG INTERSECTING PLANES, AND RELATIVELY NARROW SUPPORTING BANDS SECURED AT ONE END TO SAID BACK PANEL AT OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF AND TO SAID SIDE, FRONT AND DIAGONAL PANELS AT THEIR OPPOSITE ENDS, SAID BACK PANEL BEING FORMED OF ELASTIC FABRIC STRETCHABLE ONLY IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL DIRECTION, SAID SIDE, FRONT AND DIAGONALLY DISPOSED PANELS BEING FORMED OF ELASTIC MATERIAL STRETCHABLE IN A PLURALITY OF DIRECTIONS, THE DIRECTIONS OF STRETCH OF SAID DIAGONAL PANELS BEING ANGULARLY DISPOSED TO THE DIRECTIONS OF STRETCH OF SAID BACK, FRONT AND SIDE PANELS RESPECTIVELY. 